The 2 incidents recorded by Luke in 9:32-42 serve in the context of Acts to introduce us to the widening ministry of Peter. The gospel is beginning to spread but not yet in any concerted way to the Gentiles.
What the healing of Aeneas and raising of Tabitha show is that Peter is an authorised and authentic apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and prepare the ground for the major incident with Cornelius which follows. But this passage also teaches us about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, about suffering and about God's sovereignty.
1. A Model Disciple
The issue of discipleship is highlighted when Tabitha is identified as a disciple. Aeneas no doubt was a believer too but the fact that Tabitha was a disciple is highlighted for us in particular. There are two things to notice about this:
i) She was a female disciple - Luke uses the feminine form of the word disciple here (its only use in the NT). That is very significant. In both his Gospel and in Acts, Luke shows the prominent role played by women, both in assisting the ministry of Jesus and then in the early church.
This is important because many say the Bible is sexist, both in its language and how it portrays women. But in a society where women were marginalised, it was the Lord Jesus who willingly engaged with them, calling them to follow him, to learn from him and gladly receiving their assistance.
And in the early church, although women were not given leadership roles by the Lord, nevertheless they were valued very highly indeed. And Luke affirms that here in the way he speaks of Tabitha and presents her as a model believer.
ii) She lived out her discipleship - That portrayal of her as something of a model disciple comes out in the description of her life: she "was always doing good and helping the poor".
Discipleship has been described in various ways. One writer expresses it is this way: a disciple of Jesus Christ is "one who believes his doctrines, rests upon his sacrifice, imbibes his Spirit and imitates his example". That's a very helpful summary but Luke is not trying to define discipleship here, he's showing us what it looks like in action. And with Tabitha that meant being full of good works.
She was a lady of means who used her riches for the glory of God and the good of others. Her home was in all probability used by the church in Joppa for its meetings (she had a large upper room) and she was a consistent helper of the local widows, probably both Christian and non-Christian.
And she didn't just help from a distance; her very self was bound up with the help she gave. It is no wonder that, when she died, those she had helped were deeply upset. She was a model believer, held in high regard both in the church and in the local community.
In her example there is much for us to learn. We may not be rich as she was but the Lord blesses in various ways; are we using his gifts for his glory and the good of others? Are we clearly known as disciples of Jesus, not in a formal sense but in reality, because of the lives we live?
Acts has many great heroes of the faith: Peter and Paul, Stephen and Philip, and others. We can admire their gifts and rejoice in the way the Lord used them. But it would be quite wrong to conclude that if we lack those gifts, we have little or no part to play in his work.
Tabitha is a great example of an 'ordinary' believer living an extraordinary life, by God's grace, to God's glory. We too have many opportunities to do the same. In our society, personal, practical help is desperately needed. People are lonely, families are breaking down, many are struggling with life.
The openings are many, the harvest is plentiful - but it has to be said that still the labourers are few. Are we asking the Lord to send out workers into his harvest? We need to ask him to show us where we could make a difference, how our gifts and abilities might be used, both in the church and in the community.
2. Disciples and Death
Tabitha is a great encouragement to us through her life. But she died, so it's end of story. And yet it isn't. Her death and its outcome help us too:
i) The Lord's work does not depend on one person. His work is much bigger than us and our gifts and what we are able to do for him. The church belongs to him, the progress of the gospel is his passion and purpose ever before it becomes ours.
ii) Being a disciple, and a model one at that, does not exempt a person from what Paul calls "the sufferings of this present age" (Rom. 8:18). Tabitha fell ill and died. The Lord's best, most winsome and fruitful servants are not immune to suffering in its various forms.
iii) But, as we see here, the Lord may choose to restore, which raises the very obvious question, Why some but not others?
In this situation, Peter's decision to intervene seems to be based on the deep grief of the people and on the strategic ministry of Tabitha. Paul reasons in the same way in Phil. 1:23ff where he is sure he will be set free for the sake of the Philippian church.
But it doesn't always work that way. In fact, Paul probably wasn't released from jail. The Lord's hands are not tied by our perception of what will be best. He is free to act as he will. Taking the cases of Aeneas and Tabitha together, it is clear that the Lord's hand is not ultimately swayed by Tabitha's deeds. Aeneas is contrasted to Tabitha - he was a believer yet not much is said of him, nothing great to report. Tabitha is so different. And yet both of them are healed by the Lord!
So if it isn't human need or virtue that occasions the Lord's intervention, what is it? Look at what happens in both cases: God is glorified as people believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Both miracles are demonstrations of the larger salvation that is available only in Jesus. When Peter speaks to Aeneas and then Tabitha, he uses both times the word that is used to describe the resurrection of Jesus (vv.34,40). The Lord acts to vindicate his name, to proclaim the salvation won by Jesus.
But he doesn't only glorify himself through such miracles. They are quite rare in scripture, even in the days of Acts. More often, he chooses to glorify his name through our weakness, as Paul discovered and was able to rejoice in (2 Cor. 12:7ff).
God knows all; he is sovereign and will act to glorify the name of his Son. And that is where, ultimately, our own greatest happiness and good lie. May he help us to be true disciples, to his praise and honour, living in and through his all-sufficient grace. Amen.
